Jowar, bajra, maize and ragi are classified as:

Jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet), maize, ragi (finger millet) and barley, along with small millets, are known as coarse grains or coarse cereals. They are so called because their grains are coarser in texture than the fine cereals, rice and wheat.

The major millets and coarse cereals of India:

Jowar (sorghum): a hardy cereal grown for both grain and fodder.

Bajra (pearl millet): grown in dry areas, especially Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat. It can tolerate high temperatures and sandy soils.

Ragi (finger millet): grown mainly in Karnataka, which is the largest producer. It is very rich in calcium and iron.

Maize: used both as food and as animal feed and for industrial uses (starch and ethanol). Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar are major producers.

Small millets: kodo, kutki, sanwa (barnyard), kangni (foxtail), proso and browntop millets.

Why coarse grains are important:

• They need less water and fewer inputs, and can grow on poor soils and in dry regions.
• They are rich in fibre, protein, minerals (such as iron, calcium and magnesium) and vitamins, and have a low glycaemic index, so they are called "nutri-cereals".
• They are climate-resilient crops, important for food security in rain-fed areas.
• They are also used as fodder for animals.

Government promotion:

• At India's proposal, the United Nations declared 2023 the International Year of Millets.
• The government calls millets "Shree Anna" (the best of grains) and promotes them under the National Food Security Mission and through the public distribution system.
• India is the world's largest producer of millets.

Classification of crops in India:

• Cereals: fine cereals (rice, wheat) and coarse cereals (jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, barley).
• Cash crops: sugarcane, cotton, jute, tobacco.
• Plantation crops: tea, coffee, rubber, coconut, spices.
• Fibre crops: cotton, jute, mesta, hemp.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Cash crops are grown mainly for sale, like sugarcane and cotton.
• ✗Plantation crops are grown on large estates, like tea and coffee.
• ✗Fibre crops are grown for fibre, like cotton and jute.